Faculty receive technology award

Two College of Eastern Utah faculty members were awarded the Utah System of Higher Education’s Exemplary Faculty Use of Technology Award for 2005-06. The awards will be presented to the faculty members by Board of Regent Commissioner Richard E. Kendell at a luncheon on April 14.
Instructors Jan Curtis, business; and Greg Benson, Ph.D., instrumental music; will represent CEU as recipients of the award for teaching excellence in technology-delivered instruction. This is the third year the award has been sponsored by the Utah Electronic College Consortium.
The recommendation illustrates the qualities that make the nominees stand out as an exemplar in the use of technology to enrich and enhance higher education instruction.
Both Curtis and Benson, were selected as USHE Exemplars, and receive a plaque plus a $500 honorarium. Awards will be announced at a ceremony at the Board of Regents building in Salt Lake City.
The Utah Electronic College Consortium’s mission is to ensure that all Utah’s citizens, regardless of geographic location or work and life commitments, can earn certificates and degrees at a distance. In support of this mission, the UEC wishes to recognize Utah’s distance learning faculty. The USHE Exemplary Faculty Use of Technology Award will recognize exceptional USHE faculty member who have excelled in incorporating technology in instruction in a number of ways:
• Distance Education – Faculty who use technology to deliver an entire course to remote students, instructors who are able to engage those remote students throughout the class without face-to-face or, perhaps, real time interaction.
• Technology Enhanced Instruction – Faculty who use technology to enrich classroom instruction. NOTE: The use of technology in enhanced instruction should be a significant factor in the instruction.
• Innovative Use of Technology or Use of Emerging Technologies – Faculty who are considered “innovators,” who are the pioneers in using an emerging technology to support instruction.
• Creative Use of Multiple Media – Faculty who have incorporated more than one media, as appropriate, to enliven their curriculum.
• Collaboration – Faculty who use technology to offer intra-institutional courses or programs.
• Increased Access to Higher Education – Faculty who have used technology to extend higher education opportunities to special or under-served populations.
• Mentoring – Faculty whose use of technology has inspired other instructors and/or students to pursue use of technology in instruction or as a career path.
According to Cynthia Grua, director of distance education for the Utah System of Higher Education, the recipients, representing each of the nine institutions of higher education, are all appreciated for the use of technology in instruction with Utah’s system.